Legio XVII: Roman Legion at War

by Thomas A. Timmes

  “But,” Tomaeus said, “We still have to get some men on the far side to make this work.” Manius was frustrated at this point, but had an idea.

  “Get the Optio,” he told an aide. “Since he probably caused this problem, I might as well make him suffer a little,” he thought. “But I cannot just send over a few men, they would be defenseless.”

  When Tribune Calvus reported a few minutes later, Manius said, “Tribune, I have a mission for you. I want you to head up a party of about 20 engineers, three Maniples, and a small detachment of cavalry and archers. Your mission is to head east, downstream, along the river’s edge until you find some usable boats. I suspect the Insubres didn’t destroy boats too far in that direction. They’d know we’d have a hard time bringing them back up stream. Select the Maniples from the Hastati and tell Rasce and Snake you’ll need some of their people too.”

  “Prepare the Maniples to be by themselves on the other side of the river for up to a week; bring extra food rations for yourself and food for barter. After crossing the infantry over the river, send the cavalry back here to let me know of your progress. Tribune, have your party ready to go first thing in the morning. Any questions?” Calvus had none and was surprised and excited by the prospect of an independent command. His mind raced as he thought of what he had to do to get ready.

  Calvus pushed out his cavalry escort at first light. They were packing extra food in compliance with Manius’ orders. The Maniples had risen at 0400, eaten, completed their packing, and followed the horses into the morning sun. The going was extremely difficult and slow. The river bank was broken by numerous streams and thick vegetation. The column was averaging about one mile an hour. At least it was cool and there were few biting bugs. Eighteen hours later, after spending a miserable night along the river bank, Calvus spotted a settlement about 100 yards inland from the river and built up on stilts. Their eleven boats appeared intact and were secured not far from the bank of the river. The sun was dropping quickly so Calvus decided to wait until morning to attempt the crossing.

  Most of the people in the settlement scattered when they spotted the approaching column. Calvus marched the Maniples into the center of the settlement in column formation and then had them face outward, in the direction of the huts. The 15 cavalrymen, archers, and the engineers stayed back at the wood line, but deployed in a line facing the village. Calvus called for the chief. There was no response. He called again and this time threatened to burn down the huts unless the chief came out. An elderly man with two young boys assisting him finally stepped out of one of the huts. They were clearly scared.

  Calvus said, “We need to use your boats tomorrow and we will pay you.” The old man replied that the settlement had no need for Roman coins, but would take food. Calvus, sensing the beginning of negotiations, removed his helmet, and said, “Let’s sit down and discuss the terms.”

  The cavalry Detachment Commander saw Calvus wave for them to enter the village. “They want food, not money,” he told the Commander. “Break out enough rations for the Chief and his family and give it to him now, but hold back on the rest until I determine what we need for the boats. Dispatch two riders to go back to Praetor Tullus and tell him that we found boats and should cross tomorrow.”

  Calvus then gathered the Centurions from the three Maniples and inspected the grounds for the night’s camp site. The best choice was simply to encircle the small settlement with the Maniples. Calvus correctly assessed that there was no need to dig an encampment or ditch. They were in the middle of a wilderness with very few people for miles around. Each Maniple posted guards and was tied into the other Maniples for a seamless circle.

  Calvus, his chief engineer, and cavalry detachment commander returned to the Chief’s hut and sat with the frightened man who offered them neither food nor wine. The extra food had already been delivered to the old man and his daughters were now preparing the dinner. “Let’s eat this tonight and you and your village will have more tomorrow,” Calvus said. After about 20 minutes, a cavalryman entered the hut and whispered something to Calvus, who told the others what he said, “The people are beginning to return from the surrounding grasslands. They’re scared and unarmed.”

  During the meal, the Chief wisely agreed to let the Romans use the boats in exchange for food for the settlement. The Chief told them that the village had been attacked by river people about a month ago. He said, “They took anything of value and all their food. They had raped several of the women and kidnapped three young men. Besides all that, the fishing was poor and the settlement was now in bad shape. He begged them not to keep or destroy the boats.”

  The next day, Calvus gave the Chief the food and prepared the boats to cross the rapidly moving river. The Chief, no longer frightened, said he would provide men to steer the boats. The crossing required multiple trips and was touch and go for several of the boats, but they all made it across safely.

  The march back west along the opposite bank back to the vicinity of Casalmaggiore was a much easier trip even with the extra baggage of a single boat. Calvus decided to keep one boat just in case he needed it. It turned out to be a good idea. Twelve men, six to a side, carried it. The Romans were able to use a road about 100 yards back from the river’s edge. Calvus sent his archers up ahead to act as an advance party to provide early warning. The Maniples marched four men abreast and made good time. Eventually, they could see Tomaeus and half a dozen other men standing on the south bank. They called to each other, but it was difficult to hear because of the rushing water.

  Calvus set about erecting a wall adjacent to the planned construction site. His men cut the necessary logs and dug holes for the logs in a semi circular pattern with its open end facing the river. A protective ditch completed the defenses. By night fall, Calvus and the Maniples were protected against all but a determined assault by superior numbers. The next morning, Manius and Tomaeus, along with several Maniples and two ballistae, stood opposite Calvus’ fort. It was time to begin building the wooden bridge. Establishing Tomaeus’ rope bridge was the first order of business.

  Tomaeus talked to the ballista crew and told them what he wanted. The ballista gunner was not sure that firing an arrow over the river with a rope tied to it was going to work, but he would give it his best effort. He then tied a thin rope to one of the ballista arrows and fitted it with wings. This arrow had to fly high to keep the rope from dragging in the water and pulling it down into the river. With the rope secure to the arrow, Tomaeus gave the order to fire. The arrow snapped off the slide and slowly arched upwards. All eyes followed its progress.

  Manius, standing alongside the ballista made a quick estimate and said, “Looks like it’ll fall short.” One brave Legionary on the far shore came to the same conclusion; he quickly stripped off his gear and dove into the water. As he surfaced, the descending arrow landing with a splash a few feet away from him. Other men had by now waded into the water and formed a human chain to help their comrade pull the rope once he grabbed it. The man farthest out on the chain was up to his shoulders. The cold water immediately began to take its toll and weaken otherwise strong muscles.

  Despite grabbing the arrow and pulling with all his strength, the Legionary could not pull the long wet rope any closer to shore and the waiting human chain. Another man still standing on the bank, dove in to help the first man. The two now pulled and the long floating rope began to inch towards shore. Others on the bank now jumped in and began pulling. Eventually, the human bridge reached out and clasped the hand of a soldier who was starting to go down, but whose hands still clung fast to the rope. The human chain pulled as one and began to walk up the bank trailing its precious cargo of men and rope.

  The rope was now securely on the shore and the men weak with cold began to lie down; some were semi-conscious. One of the engineers then saw a body floating down stream. It was the first man to dive in. The cold made his muscles seize up and prevented him from swimming. A fire was quickly built and the wet men stripped off their
cloths and were brought close to the warming flames. Water was warmed and the men drank it. It would take days for them to fully recover.

  The men who stayed out of the water tied the thin rope to a nearby tree with a two foot girth and began to pull. Eventually, the thin rope gave way to a much thicker rope that would form part of the rope bridge envisioned by Tomaeus. His idea was to build a rope bridge that looked like the letter “V.” The closed bottom part of the “V” was for walking and the two open ends were for hand-holds that also steadied the bridge.

  Eventually, a second suspended rope was used to tether the boat to prevent it from floating downstream as it went back and forth on a slide carrying men, rope, and tools. When sufficient personnel were in place on Calvus’ side with the proper tools, they began to cut down the trees that would eventually form the bridge. The logs were trimmed, dragged to the river, tied to the suspension rope, and floated across to Tomaeus. Other logs were stacked on the north bank with Calvus. Tomaeus and his engineers could now begin to construct the bridge.

  He explained the process to Praetor Tullus, “The bridge would start from both ends and meet in the middle. Wooden pilings will be driven into the river bottom by heavy blocks of rock lifted by an A-frame and pulleys. Men will raise the blocks by pulling on the ropes and then release the rope to allow the blocks to drop and strike the top of the piling. Metal caps will be fitted on the pilings to prevent shattering their tops. The roadway will be laid down as the pilings are set in place.”

  “Simultaneously, I will have another crew take the boat and go upstream about 50 yards to string a chain of logs that are tethered together. They will stretch from bank to bank. This “wall” will prevent any damage to the bridge by floating debris or intentional mischief. By working day and night, I can finish the bridge in five to seven days.”

  Manius was greatly relieved that he would only lose a week and not a month. “Proceed with your plan,” he said, “and tell me if you need more men.” Since the approaches to both ends of the bridge were wet and muddy, Tomaeus laid down a roadway of split logs.

  Six days later, the Legion crossed over. The bridge was not only functional, but also served as a memorial to the man who died making its construction possible. His name was written on a wooden sign and displayed prominently on the bridge’s entrance arch. Manius estimated that the riders he dispatched were by now back at Rome and giving his letters of condolence to the family of the man. The sound of their keening in his mind drowned out the joy he should be feeling in finally crossing the river.

  The Legion saw very few people as they marched west along the banks of the Po enroute to Cremona, a mere 15 miles away, and further north from the river. There were not a lot of people in this low area and for good reason: spring time flooding and summer swamp sickness. The people they did encounter looked poor and sickly. Manius wanted to arrive at Cremona about 1000 hours the next morning and then march through the city in a show of strength and professionalism. It was also good for troop morale to occasionally parade. He stopped the column about 1400 hours and directed the troops to clean and shine their gear.

  He sent emissaries to Cremona to announce his intentions to march the Legion through the settlement. The Cenomani responded that they welcomed the Legion and hoped they would camp nearby and that the Legionaries would be allowed to visit and get to know the people. The village Chief did not really mean it, but it was an expected act of friendship to extend such an invitation. Legionaries were disciplined troops, but they were also young men who liked to drink and flirt with the local women. It was too explosive. Manius took the invitation for what it was, a gesture. The Legion would camp near the settlement, but the troops would be restricted to camp.

  He and a few Tribunes however, got a real invitation and dined with the Chief and his Elders at the settlement that night. The topic of Hannibal and Cannae came up as Manius expected it would. The Chief showed real concern for the stability of Rome and the restoration of law and order throughout the Peninsula. He also volunteered to provide Manius with 500 armed men if he needed them. Manius declined the offer, but would remember it.

  Figure 16 Legion on Parade

  The next morning, the Legion paused on the outskirts of the settlement to dress their lines as the trumpets sounded their arrival. The men were lined up five abreast. The Legion’s Eagle was at the head of the column followed by its symbol, the Peregrine Falcon. Manius took his position behind the Eagle and the column moved forward. The people lined the street and were duly impressed. The sight of fifty five hundred armed men marching through their settlement in a professional, disciplined, and restrained manner was a once in a lifetime event.

  The might of Rome, the power of the Republic, was on full display and was truly awesome to behold. The Legion passed through the town and continued for another mile before Manius called a halt to allow the men to shed their armor and adopt a more relaxed pace.

  Next stop, Brixia, 32 miles and two days due north. The Legion had been marching now for 33 days and covered 350 miles. Manius’ original estimate that they would arrive at Brixia on March 1st was now off by six days because of the slow crossing of the Po. He and the men were looking forward to Brixia and the relative comforts of camp life.

  The Fort at Patavium

  The work on the Patavium fort got underway in earnest on the first of February. Axius provided 1000 men as promised and Darmo provided his 50. The engineers developed a detailed plan to complete the fort. The construction plan included a list of required materials, tools, and manpower; everyone was involved except the ever vigilant cavalry and heavily armed infantry patrols. In time, trees were cut and sawed; holes for the posts and ditches were dug; and watch towers designed and built. The men followed a step by step sequence within established time lines and met their goals for each phase. Servilius now estimated a mid April completion date.

  Servilius not only organized the effort to build his fort, but also supported the Veneti’s request for weapons and development of a defensive strategy for their settlement. Roman engineers designed a four mile wall around Mestre with a complimentary ditch and series of fighting watch towers as sufficient protection against further mercenary attacks. Axius approved the project and Servilius provided five experienced Centurions to supervise the estimated five month effort. In addition, Mestre men were sent for a week at a time to the Roman encampment for weapons training provided by Servilius’ Centurions.

  The Rear Detachment at Rome continued to push forward replacements, supplies, and letters from home. Once off loaded, the ships sailed back to Rome with sick Legionaries, prisoners, and homeward bound mail. Manius’ logistics was working well so far.

  Brixia and the Cenomani

  The air was still cold, but there were unmistakable signs of the coming spring. The Legion covered the remaining 32 miles in three days to allow one day to clean up before parading through Brixia. Manius’ advance party made contact with the village chief, Segovesus. They agreed on a temporary encampment site for the Legions, the timing of the parade, and Manius extended an invitation to Segovesus and his Elders to dine at the Legion’s headquarters.

  The Cenomani welcomed the parading Legionaries with genuine enthusiasm and gratitude. As long as the Legion was around, they did not have to worry about mercenaries or neighboring tribes coming into their area. Rosa was accorded the deference and respect due a future queen of the Rhaetians. She was beginning to enjoy her new role.

  After the parade, the Legion settled into their temporary encampment on the outskirts of the village and prepared to host Segovesus and his Elders for a grand dinner. As always, Rasce had his cavalry deployed far and wide to provide early warning. The camp was dug in and guards were posted just like every other night while campaigning. The dinner went off without a hitch and the entire camp minus the rotating guards, rested. As always, the Ready Reserve comprised of three Maniples stood at arms.

  The next day, Tomaeus surveyed the surrounding country side and found an ideal
spot for a more permanent camp. It was sited on a slight rise, had good 360 degree observation, and had a stream nearby that could be diverted closer to the camp to serve as a bathhouse and latrine. The site chosen was about a mile away from Brixia and had access to adequate trees for building materials and fuel. Grassy meadows were also nearby for grazing the animals. There were three huts in the area, but, following an exchange of Denarii, the inhabitants agreed to relocate temporarily with no hard feelings.

  Within three weeks and with the help of 2,000 Cenomani, the camp was mostly built including a 20’ high wooden palisade wall, a ditch, and eight watch towers. The Tribune in charge of logistics, the same miracle worker who purchased hundreds of draft animals from Illyria, immediately set about arranging purchasing agreements with the surrounding Cenomani villages for food and fodder.

  Unlike Hannibal and the vicious mercenaries that periodically ravished this area, Manius insisted his men pay for everything the Legion needed. Brixia and the surrounding villages were suddenly in the midst of an economic boon! During this era of good relations with Segovesus, Manius asked if he would provide the Legion with 2500 armed men to accompany him for the 209 campaign season beginning on the first of May. Manius clinched the deal by saying that he would pay Segovesus and each man 1 Sesterces per day for each day they were in the field.

  Shortly after the Legion arrived in Brixia, Manius dispatched a squadron of cavalry to pay his respects to Timo at Tridentum. The Cavalry Commander had four tasks to accomplish: Pass on to Timo his gift of five horses and Manius’ personal greetings; open up a dialogue to secure the assistance of 2500 Raeti warriors to campaign with the Legion into Austria; find out if there is another more secure route over the Alps than the well known Brenner Pass; and lastly, for security reasons, when the Pass reopens in the spring, block any further movement north through the Brenner.